U.S. Men's Team for Pan Am Cup Offers Glimpse of the Future

ANAHEIM, Calif. (May 30, 2008) - Volleyball fans may be getting a glimpse of the future of the U.S. Men's National Team on June 2-7 at the Pan American Cup in Winnipeg, Canada.

The 12-man U.S. team competing at the seven-team tournament is comprised of 11 players who finished their college careers in the last three years and one who is still in college.

Among the players, 11 have played in at least one World University Games. Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.), who is entering his senior year at Penn State, has not played at the World University Games, but played for the 2007 Junior Men's National Team at the FIVB Junior Men's World Championship.

His Penn State team also won the 2008 NCAA men's volleyball national championship on May 3.

The head coach of the team is Alan Knipe, who took his Long Beach State men's volleyball team to the NCAA semifinals in May and who coached the U.S. Men to a bronze medal at the 2007 World University Games. He will be assisted by John Hawks of USC, who was his assistant coach at the World University Games and who also led the team that trained with Japan's national team.

The United States was scheduled to play in a group with Cuba, Mexico and Costa Rica. However a notice on Canada's Web site says Cuba pulled out of the tournament this week. The other group is scheduled to include Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago.